Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff was the guest speaker at the Menifee Rotaryâs new noon meeting place, BJâs Brewhouse in the Countryside Marketplace.

New club member, sheriffâs Lt. Charles Guillen, and Riverside sheriffâs Lt. Jackie Horton of the Perris substation joined Sniff at the meeting on Thursday, April 25.

Sniff described in detail the functions of the Sheriffâs Department to the gathered Rotarians.

The sheriff is the only elected police official in the county.

Besides providing law enforcement for unincorporated sections of Riverside County, which is roughly the size of f New Jersey, the department provides police protection by contract with most of the incorporated cities. In the southwest county, Perris, Menifee and Temecula contract with the Sheriffâs Department.

The third mission of the department is to operate the county jails, which Sniff admits are becoming revolving doors for nonviolent criminals due both to a court ruling against overcrowding and the consequent freeing of convicts. New jail space is hoped for, but in the present economy, itâs an idle dream, Sniff said.

Riverside County needs more personnel to perform its varied functions, but plans for necessary growth are also currently on hold, Sniff said.

When asked about his personal background, Sniff recalled starting as a street cop in a small town in the desert. He then had a career change from chasing criminals and issuing tickets to protecting his country by joining the Army, retiring as a full colonel, he said.

Returning to law enforcement, Sniff joined the Riverside County Sheriffâs Department and, after rising through the ranks, ran for the top job and was first elected seven years ago.

Although Rotary is a nonpolitical organization and speakers are asked to avoid politics, when an audience member asked whether he planned to run for re-election in 2014, he said yes.

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